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It took us a long time to discover
that we couldn’t hire a master
teacher and thus become a “real”
Waldorf school. The whole com-
munity – teachers, parents, students
– has to evolve. In 2005, Patti
Connolly was our faculty chair
and on-site mentor and the school
matured to fully appreciate her
value. We’ve begun the process of
advancing from a “developing”
Waldorf school to a “sponsored”
school, the last step before becom-
ing a “full-member” school accred-
ited by the Association of Waldorf
Schools of North America (AWSNA).
We’re planning to apply jointly for
accreditation in the Association of
Colorado Independent Schools, a
chapter of the National Associa-
tion of Independent Schools. This
is a dynamic, ongoing process of
self-evaluation that will take us into
adolescence fully awake and aware.
Each grade’s curriculum will be
clearly described; the expectations
of students will be delineated for
parents to see.
The heart of the school is, of course,
the children’s experience. I have
lovely memories of Brooke dancing
around the living room showing
off her wash mitt, one of her first
knitting projects, and explaining
to her Aunt Sylvia how the math
gnomes were teaching her math.
In her last play, High Tor, she had
a difficult, sad, dramatic part and
couldn’t think how to act it. Mr.
Moore said, “Just imagine how
awful it would be if you forgot your
lines!” Then the part came easily!
In high school, she was given a spe-
cial award because she was so ca-
pable of explaining math concepts
to the other students. She’s always
worked in collaboration – not com-
petition – with her classmates.
When Brooke started at Aspen High
School in 2002, some of her new
friends accused her of “pretending”
to be extremely self-confident. She
wasn’t pretending! In all areas of
the curriculum, Waldorf children
are met with activities that they
can perform successfully and the
curriculum is so rich in so many
areas – music, art, drama, hand-
work, eurythmy – as well as in
powerful academics, that it makes
for wonderfully well-rounded and
self-confident students. Yes, Brooke
graduated and is now a high school
senior. What am I doing, attending
Waldorf board meetings and work-
ing on committees? I’m helping
Waldorf education because it’s the
most exciting, rewarding, politically
subversive thing I can do to save
the world.
© Ni ch o la s D eVo re II I
Brooke has her face painted to match her
Halloween costume
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